Anna Kuwabara, executive director of the Albany Symphony Orchestra, at a 2022 orchestra rehearsal in Troy Savings Bank Music Hall. Photo by Lori Van Buren/Times Union.
In last Tuesday’s (10/31) Times Union (Albany, NY), Katherine Kiessling reports, “Albany Symphony announced Anna Kuwabara is resigning from her role as executive director. Her last day is Jan. 31, 2024. Kuwabara joined Albany Symphony in July 2017. Over her six-and-a-half-year tenure, she guided the organization through two union negotiations with the Albany Musicians’ Association; initiated the orchestra’s diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts; and led several projects to connect with the community, including the three-year Convergence series, which concluded this summer. Kuwabara also saw Albany Symphony through the COVID-19 pandemic, working with Music Director David Alan Miller and musicians to bring concerts to audiences’ homes. Kuwabara will assist the board of directors in its search for a new executive director and with the transition of leadership. There is no word yet on what she plans to do following her departure from the symphony. … ‘From my very first hours on the job, I have been struck by the extraordinary nature of the Albany Symphony and the Capital Region—intrepid and warm-hearted, passionate about artistic adventure and excellence,’ said Kuwabara in a statement.”
